BICOM

Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum yesterday addressed the annual Israel Conference on Peace organised by Haaretz.

President Reuven Rivlin, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, opposition leader Isaac Herzog, Knesset Member Tzipi Livni and Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh were among those taking part in discussions on the peace process with the Palestinian and regional developments.

Herzog claimed that “control over another people is ruining Israel” and described the settlements as being “of unreasonable size”. He said, however, that unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank would be “a national disaster” and Israel should maintain control over the settlements of Gush Etzion and Maaleh Adumim in any peace agreement.

Tzipi Livni also criticised the government’s settlement construction policy, describing “new construction” as part of the vision of a greater Land of Israel and is “not connected to peace. It is only creating problems for the future”.

She also criticised the government coalition, made up of right-wing parties, saying “Israel’s glass ceiling at the moment is what [Naftali] Bennett permits … [Benjamin] Netanyahu is always signalling a left turn, comes to an intersection, and turns right”. Livni did confirm the accuracy of the recent Haaretz report on negotiation drafts during 2013-4, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to negotiate based on 1967 lines.

On the peace process, Education Minister Naftali Bennett told delegates that he preferred a “united Jerusalem to a diplomatic accord”. Bennett argued that the “left does not have a monopoly on peace,” adding that “peace is reached not through concessions and ceding land, but from strength… I want peace just as much as you, but I want a right-wing peace”.

President Rivlin said that sooner or later Israel will have to make a decision on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that the dispute between the right and left in Israeli society comes down to “our ability to live here safely versus our existence as a democratic state”.

In a recorded speech, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that he is willing to meet Netanyahu at any time, in order to reach an understanding on concrete steps towards reaching peace agreement.